Life Angel
by Guardian2Be
Summary: Rose left Court with her kids and Dimitri. Lissa's back to being Queen. Until a twisted turn of fate brings them all together.  Read Shadow Heart and Dark Beauty before continuing! The last installment of the Shadow Heart Trilogy. RxR!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I know, I know; I'm serious, I do…

**People, LA is right below this, but before you actually read, tell me this: Did you enjoy SH and DB? Want to know how I'm doing…**

**Well, here goes nothing…**

**LIFE ANGEL**

Prologue

Rose

Life became interesting after I left Court with Dimitri, Ari, and Alek. Alek was now six, and Ari is twelve. Even though they don't remember much of Court, Dimitri and I taught them, giving them the lines that were drilled in our minds since we could walk. They knew they weren't human, that they should protect a Moroi in danger. We were proud of that.

Dimitri has taught all of us Russian. (I now know how to cuss in Russian). We moved to Minnesota, and bought a small cottage just off of a beautiful little lake. We live in a little meadow just off of a highway. The cottage was like something out of a story book. It had a brick foundation, but the top was white. Our driveway was off to the side, covered in gravel, and that led out to the main highway. Leading out from the house is a stone walkway that leads through the trees and to the lake. When Ari first moved here, she immediately named it Swan Lake, because she was obsessed with that story. We went along with it, and Alek started calling it 'Barbie', because Ari would make him watch the Barbie version of it.

I didn't keep connection with Lissa after leaving, because I could read her thoughts that she actually meant to get out of her life, instead of the room. Inside of her I felt her sorrow over loosing me. Until she reminded herself about what I did to Christian. About him…I never knew if he woke up or not, because Lissa can now sense me inside her head. Don't ask me how, but right after leaving the boundaries of Court, I went into her mind, and almost immediately got shot back out. She told me something along the lines of "Go away!" So I did. I've never checked in on her after that. Sure, if she was in danger, I'd go running back to her, but she was in Court. She was safe.

Hopefully this time things will go as planned. But I seriously doubt it.

Fate just loves to kick me in the ass sometimes…

**Okay…. I know I didn't UD A.S.A.P, but school, and all that… My first attempt at LA's Prologue kind of went down the drain, but I've finally figured it out!**

**First chapter soon!**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	2. Chapter 1:Old Memories and One Big Shock

Disclaimer: I'm not even going to try…

**Hey all! So, there really isn't much to put on here.**

**There is, of course, the thing all authors look for. Reviews!**

**You wasted at least five seconds reading this… Enjoy…**

Chapter One: Old Memories and One Big Shocker

"Mom! Mail's here!" Ari screamed as she walked into the house, carrying a few bills, and an envelope that I really didn't want to see right now. I'd seen it a couple times before: When Lissa became Queen, when Jake got admitted to Saint Vlad's, and a Royal Ball. I didn't open any of them, but I knew what they were because Dimitri had opened them and told me. All of those envelopes had the Dragomir crest engraved in it. Every Royal Court letter had the present ruling King or Queens sign on it. This one didn't have the Dragomir crest on it. From what I could see—which wasn't much, because Ari's hand was covering half of it—was a small _Ro_- in Lissa's cursive hand writing. Sure enough, when Ari put the letter on the table _Rose_ was visible on the gold, standing out in silver ink. _Nice touch, Liss._ I thought. A couple weeks before I had left, Lissa wanted to know what would look good on gold paper. When I'd suggested silver, she said she'd only use it for letters addressed to me. I picked the letter up, told Ari to pick up her brother from the day care that was a couple minutes bike ride from here, and headed to the small clearing in the woods surrounding our house.

Dimitri was doing cool-down stretches when I reached him. A sheet of sweat covered him, and he paused when he saw me and my panicked look. "What's wrong?" He asked. "That's what I'm going to find out…" I mumbled while ripping the top open and finding the letter inside.

I read it out loud for him to hear:

_Dear Rose,_

_I know you haven't heard from me in five years, but you HAVE to come to Court. It's urgent. Someone's...Um, died. I can't tell you through a letter. It'll be too harsh. I'm sure you may want to come to this certain funeral…When you see me—well, if you do—don't kill me, okay? I really tried to help, but I couldn't…_

_All will be explained when you get here._

_From your bond-mate,_

_Lissa _ _XOXO_

Dimitri stared at me, waiting for a reaction. "Dammit. Who's died? Dimitri, do you think…?" "If it had been Christian, you would have felt an extreme amount of sadness, depression maybe. From the way she wrote it, I would say she was offering her condolences, as if she hadn't known the person, or hadn't had a close relationship with them. Maybe you did." "So, wait. You think that the _someone_ who died was someone I was close to, but not her?" He nodded. I bit my lip, thinking. Well, who did I know better than her? Well, that's hard… I shrugged. "Do you think we should go?" I asked finally. "Your choice. I mean, it would be a good learning experience for the kids, knowing how the Moroi works, and how we lived before we moved." I nodded slowly. "Ari should be back with Alek now, so tell them to pack." "We're going?" He clarified. I took a deep breath. _It's urgent._

"Yeah, I guess we are."

"So, wait. We're going _where_?" Ari asked. "We're going to the Royal Court." Dimitri answered. "Where's that?" Alek asked while running around the house with no shirt on. I grabbed a dark navy blue shirt, and thrust it over him while he ran past me. "Pennsylvania," I answered. "Now, no more questions until we're in the van. We still have packing to do." Ari sighed and ran a hand through her brown hair. Then she went upstairs to her room. "Dimitri, you get Alek ready. I'll take Ari." He nodded. "C'mon Alek," He took his son's hand and walked toward Alek's room. I hesitated, watching them walk off. _How picturesque_, I thought, and headed off to get Ari ready.

About thirty minutes later, we were heading to the Royal Court. Alek was staring out the window, looking sad. "What's wrong, Alek?" I asked. "This is the last time I get to see Barbie." He said. I laughed. "We're coming back. We're going to visit Aunt Lissa," Both of them looked up. Dimitri didn't look back, but I could see the warning in his eyes: Take it easy and gently. "Don't you remember her?" Alek shook his head, and Ari hesitated. "I know that name…Somehow…" I smiled. "We practically lived with her before we moved." "Do we have cousins?" Alek asked in a small voice. "Yes," I told them. "Why did we move, Mommy?" I didn't want to talk about Christian now. Or go into any details. So all I said was, "That's another story for another day."

Ari

I could see her shutting down. It's happened before when I asked her. I had told Mom about my random memories. A gym. Breakfast. A strange woman with long black hair, a scar on her face, and icy blue eyes. Then I asked why we left, and soon she started to shut down. Someone always managed to change the subject after that. I turned to my brother, who was glancing at Mom curiously. "You idiot," I whispered angrily. "You broke Mom!" "Ari, language…" Dad warned. _Dang it, Dad…Always paying attention… _I thought. "How long until we get there?" I asked. This time Mom answered. "About an hour." I sighed, frustrated that I couldn't just fast forward through time. My phone started playing to Tik Tok by Ke$ha. I opened my phone and read the text from my best friend Violet. _Hey, where r u?_ Quickly, I replied. _Going to Pennsylvania. Apparently, I have relatives I've never seen since I was little_ I hit send. Violet and I texted a bit more until we finally stopped at a giant gate in the middle of the woods. "What is this?" I asked. "Hush," Mom scolded. Dad was leaning out the window, talking to some scary looking guys in black. "Hathaway! Is that you?" One of them looked at Mom. "Hiya, Stan! Happy to have me out in the world?" The guy—Stan, presumably—laughed. "Everything's different since you've left, Rose." He actually looked a little regretful. Mom just smiled at him. "Oh, is this little Ari?" Mom nodded. "Yep." "Glad to have you guys back," he seemed honest. As we drove through the gate, I heard Mom whisper to Dad. "God, Alto sure has changed." Dad nodded. We stopped and parked the car, got out and walked through a tinier gate, after the people there recognized our parents. Mom was looking at everything, seeming to marvel at just the air.

Rose

It's been a long time since I've seen Court, but most of it was the same. Moroi never change. "Rose!" I spun at the familiar voice. "Liss!" I yelled, and ran to her. She hugged me tightly, mumbling into my shoulder. "I'm so, _so_ sorry! I didn't mean any of it!" I laughed. "It's okay, Liss. It's okay." Lissa pulled away, and tears were in her eyes. "Hey, don't cry. I don't want my kids to see the queen cry." Lissa looked behind me and gaped at Ari and Alek. _They're so big!_ She sent through the bond. "Yes, yes they are." I answered aloud. Lissa went to Dimitri first, hugging him. "Hi, Dimitri!" She was all happy when she turned to the kids. "Ari, Alek! How old are you guys?" Ari looked at me, unsure if she should answer truthfully. I gestured her to go on. "Twelve." Ari answered. Lissa hugged her, then took Ari's hands in hers. "I'm your Aunt Lissa. Same to you, Alek." Lissa nodded to Alek, who was hiding behind me. I turned and crouched next to him. "This is your Aunt Lissa," I told him. "So she's not a Strigoi?" We all laughed. "No, Alek. She's safe," Alek turned back to Lissa and walked to her. Lissa smiled brightly. Alek took her hand. "I remember this place…" Ari spoke softly. I smiled at her. Which I seem to be doing a lot lately. "Come on, everybody. Let's get to my house, and we can catch up over dinner."

We walked into Lissa's house, and the smell of cooking overtook us. I walked into the kitchen, and saw an amazing sight. "Pyro!" I screamed. Christian spun as I nearly knocked him down with the force of my hug. "Rosie, you could get burned. Be careful," he was being sarcastic, but I could tell he was happy to see me. I squeezed him tighter, and soon he hugged me back. "I…I thought you were gone…" I whispered. Christian laughed. "You can't get rid of me that easy, Hathaway," I pulled away and kissed him on the cheek. Turning around, Lissa was smiling. "So, you didn't forget about him?" I punched her lightly in the arm. "Of course not! How could I? He is the King." Christian smirked and turned back around. All of a sudden Lissa's moods were full of dread, and I felt the twitch through our connection that meant bad news was coming. "Rose, I need to tell you something." I nodded and followed her up to her room. She shut the door and watched me as I sat on the bed. Lissa sighed. "Rose, I don't know how to tell you this, but…" Lissa stepped in front of me, and I felt her sorrow flood into me as she spoke her next sentence.

"Rose, your mother…died."

**Bam! I came back into the land of the living. Let me know how you think I did in a review!**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	3. Chapter 2:Reflecting and Melanie

Disclaimer: I brought a certain Pyro to do this. Christian?

Christian: I don't want to!

Me: I brought you back from a coma! I could kill you off!

Christian: Cheyenne does not own anything except the kids and the plot!

**Okay! Now that Christian is done, on with the story!**

Chapter 2: Reflecting and Melanie

No. No way. Not possible. "Oh, honey," Lissa hugged me. I hugged her back and cried into her shoulder. My mother. Janine Hathaway. Dead. "H-how?" Lissa smiled sympathetically. "Let me get Dimitri, okay?" I nodded. She knew I would feel safer with Dimitri there. Soon, Lissa came in the room with Dimitri following. "Oh, Roza," He whispered as he hugged me. I buried my face in his chest as his arms wrapped around me. Dimitri led me over to the bed, while Lissa sat in a chair opposite us. "How?" I asked again. "Well, I was with Janine when it happened. I wanted to visit Mia, and it was getting late. When we left it was one. **(One A.M for humans)** We really didn't expect Strigoi to attack, because Mia's house was surrounded in a ward or two. It was actually right before we left the boundaries of the second ward. There were at least five other royal guardians with me. We had nearly made it to the van, when at least twenty Strigoi jumped us. We…We tried, but I couldn't heal her…The Strigoi ripped her throat out. Rose, I'm _so_ sorry," She hugged me, before pulling back to check my reaction. My only problem: I was frozen. I felt numb inside, but I still managed to give a little response. "There was nothing you could do. It's not healthy to bond to two people… I understand," Lissa smiled, but still had tears running down her cheeks as she left me to grieve. The door shut softly, and it was just me and Dimitri. "Hey, Comrade?" I asked quietly. "Yes, Roza?" "C-can you let me be alone for a few?" He nodded, kissed my forehead, and left the room.

I crawled under the covers of the bed, and moved a pillow over my head; trying unsuccessfully to block out the world. I sobbed, something I haven't done in a while. I thought about my mother, about how she dropped me off at the academy; Which I soon learned was for the greater good. I know I didn't say this enough when she was alive, but I did love her. I never wanted this fate for her. She was an amazing guardian, and in some ways it was my fault. I mean, if I hadn't left Lissa, then none of this would have happened. Sighing, I dried my eyes, and padded off to the private bathroom. I splashed my face with water, and dried it with a towel. I left the room, and shut the door behind me.

Downstairs, Christian was the only one there. "Hey, where's everyone?" I asked. Christian spun around from the stove, looking like I scared the hell out of him. "Hey, Rosie. Ari, Alek, and Dimitri headed off to the gym, and Lissa had some Royal thing that I didn't want to go to." I nodded. "What are you making?" I asked, walking over beside him. The pan he was working over had some type of meat, peppers, and some other types of weird ingredients I won't even begin to guess. "It's an old family recipe. My grandma taught me." "Well, whatever it is, it smells great." I could see Christian blush (yes, _blush_) under my praise. I smiled, spun on my heel, and headed to a gym I haven't seen in five years.

On my way, I saw an awesome fighting scene. I would have expected to see young dhampirs fighting, but boy was I shocked to see Moroi. The girl, I was shocked to see, was beating the boy, who appeared older than her. Running over before she could kill him, I thrust them apart. "Hey, what's going on?" I asked. I glanced between the two, and that was when I saw the girl's similarity to Christian and Lissa. The age, about fourteen, was right. And the green eyes… "Melanie?" Her eyes snap up at her name, which had been remaining downcast as I pulled them apart. "Who are you?" She asked. "I haven't seen you around before." "Oh, you've seen me before. Even called me Auntie Rose, once upon a time. Now, don't make me repeat myself." The boy spoke up first. "I didn't do anything!" I glanced skeptically at him. I looked at Melanie. "Okay, well, Darius made fun of one of my friends, and he was getting really rough with her, so I replied with self defense…" I looked back at Darius. His only response was to look down. After I had scolded him and released him, I turned to Melanie. "I don't have an Aunt Rosie." She said defiantly. "Are you new?" I laughed, and showed her my neck. When I turned around, Melanie was just staring at me. "On second thought, I think I heard Mom talking a little to Dad about a person named Rose." I nodded. "Now, come on. I have some people that may want to meet you."  
I headed off with Melanie to "meet" her cousins.

**There you go! Anything I need to improve? Please leave NICE comments, thanks. 8-)**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	4. Chapter 3: Rekindling Relationships

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, all goes to Richelle Mead, except for the plot and the kids :)

**Sorry! I've been busy for a while… And thanks for the comments! And here we go…**

Chapter Three:

As we walked to the gym, I explained to Melanie in a bit more detail about the kids, Dimitri and me. I explained that a while ago her father was in a coma, I was involved in the fight that made him get into said coma, her mother got angry at me, I left with Dimitri and the kids, my mother died, and how we all ended up here. Melanie didn't say much as we walked, but right before going through the gym doors, she stopped. I turned to face her. "What's wrong?" She looked down. "What were their names?" "Ari is the girl, Alek the boy," Melanie nodded. "Okay. Let's do this." She turned to the door, adopting a determined look on her face. I pushed open the door, and we walked inside.

My eyes instantly snapped to Dimitri, reminding me about how it doesn't matter how crowded the room is, we can find each other whenever. I led Melanie over to Ari, who had just punched her father in the neck. I laughed as Dimitri fell onto the mat. "Ari," Dimitri said. "I wasn't ready." Ari looked at him, hands on her hips. "Aren't you the one who said Strigoi never wait, and don't hesitate?" Dimitri looked at me, begging for some back up. "Hey, don't look at me like that Comrade, you taught me that too," he grumbled and got back on his feet. "Who's that?" Ari asked, turning to Melanie. "Your Aunt Lissa's daughter." I answered. "Wait," she said. "So, she's my cousin?" Dimitri stood back up. "Not necessarily," he said. "You two were practically sisters before we moved." The girls eyed each other, and I could see Ari trying to remember at least a sliver of memory in the older girls face. Ari shook her head, before turning back to her father. "So, are we going to fight or not?" Dimitri gave me a little half smile. "She is so much like you, attitude and all." I smirked.

Before Dimitri could mount any sort of defense, Ari kicked her father in the stomach. Melanie made a squeaking sound, apparently not used to any type of actual defense like we learn. "Okay, Ari take a break." She wouldn't listen, and instead went over to a punching bag and began beating it up. I would have been proud, but remembering Melanie, I called out to her. "Arianna Nicole, get your butt over here, now." She glanced over at me, realized I was serious, and headed over. "What?" She asked sharply. It was then that Alek came trotting over. "Mommy, I ran a mile today!" His eyes were bright, and he was bouncing up and down, making the light reflect off of his forehead, which was shiny with sweat. "Good job, Honey. Now, go over to your father and he'll teach you a bit." Alek nodded, and headed over to his father. "Ari, you are going to be nice to Melanie. Besides, I think you've had enough of the gym today." Ari rolled her eyes. I looked at her angrily. "Fine," she grumbled, and left the gym in a hurry, sweeping past her little brother and father without a second glance. "Sorry about that Melanie. She's just a little tired and worn out from the long trip here. She'll be better once she's been here for a day or two." Melanie nodded. "Okay," she said quietly. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, let's see what your father's been doing."

Pyro, it seemed, was planted on the couch, flipping through channels. "Hey, your kid just went into the guest bedroom and slammed the door." Christian said it with a very tattle-tale way. "Your kid beat up another kid, Fire-crotch," he glared, and then turned to his daughter, giving her a high five. I rolled my eyes at that. "You're congratulating her on that?" I asked. "Yes, but don't tell Lissa, she'll be really mad." " Sure, whatever." What I didn't say was: _I'll tell her when you're gone._ Melanie sat down on the couch, and I sat down on the other side of Christian. He was watching some stupid motorcycle thing. "Hey, Pyro." I started. "Yes, Rosie?" He got a glare at that. "Don't you have any home movies?


	5. Chapter 3 andahalf: Chap 3 cont

Disclaimer: Get off of my computer!

_Before you kill me, let me explain. I had originally typed almost 4 paragraphs more to the last chapter, but forgot to save it. I thought I did save it, so I uploaded the chapter. Of course, it was only half the chapter that I wanted it to be. I'm so, so sorry, but I'm that kind of person where you're afraid to finish something when something went horribly wrong. I was (still am) afraid to even start where I left off unexpectedly. Anyways, I hope you guys will still read after this. I am here to face my fears… And… GO!_

Chapter Three And A Half:

_Melanie POV:_

I watched Aunt Rose and Dad converse for a few minutes, but when she suggested home movies, I jumped up and walked upstairs, not wanting to see the videos that made my mom cry in the middle of the night. I decided the best thing to do was head to my room, maybe call some friends. But when I passed the guest bedroom, I heard Ari's voice on the other side of the door, talking to someone on her phone. "I don't know Violet, I just don't know… Yes, they're nice, but it's just a lot to take in….How could you know, I mean you've never been to the Royal Court, have you?" She paused for a second. "Listen, I'll talk to you later, I still need to unpack… Yeah, bye." **(I decided to make Violet a Moroi, make things more interesting)** I heard the snap of a phone shut, and the open of a suitcase. I decided now was a good time to knock. And when I did, I heard a faint, "Come in." I opened the door slowly, taking in the scene before me. Ari was putting a few shirts into a drawer, the bed was still made, and the suitcase was laying open on the bed, with her red razor phone right next to it. She glanced up at my entrance. "What do you want?" There was a cautious edge to her voice. "Well, I figured if we are going to be together a lot, I might as well help you unpack…" I took a step toward her. "What makes you think that?" She asked, with her hands on her hips. "We both know our mothers…Their history. They might force us to be friends or something. I don't want us to be living in the same house, with us ignoring each other's presence." Ari nodded slowly, waiting for me to continue. "And, well, I haven't been outside of the Royal Court, maybe I could tell you about living here, and you could tell me about living… Well, wherever it is that you live?" "Minnesota." I nodded. "Plus, I kind of want to maybe be friends?" Ari smiled, which was unexpected. "Sure, I'd love that. C'mon, I'll tell you about Minnesota." I smiled too, and helped her unpack while she told me about her life.

_Ari POV:_

When we had finished unpacking my stuff, Melanie and I headed downstairs. Alek was sitting on the floor, looking up at the TV with fascination. There were shouts coming from the screen. Melanie and I sat down next to him, and looked up at the screen ourselves. The camera was shaking, as if the person holding it was laughing as they surveyed me… _Me_? Melanie was there too, and we looked completely happy as we chased each other around the base of a giant oak tree. The camera spun around, and we got a glimpse of Melanie's dad…Christian, I think…And Mom. Okay, so I knew my mother was what some guys would call a 'babe', but she looked much cuter (or should I say _hotter_?) in a bikini. They were throwing water balloons at each other and teasing, calling each other names like 'Rosie' and 'Hathaway' from Christian's side, and 'Chrissie' and 'Pyro' from Mom's. The person behind the camera—which I know now to be Aunt Lissa—screeched as water droplets from a particularly big balloon hit the lens. "Christian!" Aunt Lissa yelled out, trying to wipe it clean. "Sorry!" Christian yelled back, and then: "Hey, I wasn't ready Hathaway!" Mom laughed, and soon Christian was chasing Mom. Behind me, I heard Mom laughing quietly, and Christian saying, "Good times, huh?" just as Aunt Lissa walked through the door. The autumn-near-winter air blew in, temporarily freezing us. "Hey, what's—." She realized what was playing on the TV screen. "Oh…" She carefully took off her heels, setting them (as silently as she could, which believe me, is not easy to do) on the hardwood floors. She took off her coat, draping it over a nearby armchair. Slowly, as if not to disturb the serene memory on the screen, she seated herself in-between Mom and Christian. The screen went back to black abruptly, after about ten minutes of video. I turn back to see Mom looking at me with a gleam in her eye. Well, me and Melanie.

"What?" I ask, beginning to stand, along with Melanie. "Nothing, it's just…" Mom trailed off. "What?" Melanie asked, a bit more forcefully than I had done. It was Aunt Lissa who finished. "How far away that memory is from now." Well, that wasn't confusing. "_What?" _Melanie and I say together. "She means—I mean, we—mean that we're just shocked to see how big you've gotten, and how different it is now." Mom said. "Oh." I say, and, as if practiced, Melanie and I look at each other, shrug, and head up the stairs. "Well," I hear Christian say as we reach the landing, "That wasn't weird."

He was right. That wasn't weird. It was more…_Good_. Because I felt something switch in Melanie and my relationship, something that felt right.

Now, I feel as if being at the Royal Court wouldn't be so bad.

_**Okay! Again, that was basically the finishing point of the last chapter; therefore, this chapter is now Chapter 3 andahalf…**_

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


	6. Chapter 4: Doubts and Beliefs

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything… If I did, I wouldn't be writing here…**

_**Again, I'm really **__**Very**__** sorry about my long absence, and I understand if three-fourths of you want to kill me… But I'm back now! (Not good enough, I know). BTW: Really sorry if this chap's horrible… A little rusty on this story…**_

Ari

Up in my room, Melanie and I sit side-by-side on my bed, not saying anything… I guess both of us wanted to know what was going on downstairs, but knowing we had to give the adults some time alone.

Rose

Christian looked at us, Liss and I sitting next to each other like old times, shook his head, and said as he walked out: "Call me back in when you're done." I heard the glass door shut as he went outside. Lissa was looking at the ground when I faced her. I couldn't read her thoughts. She's very good at this blocking out thing. "Look, Liss, about… Well, then…" I couldn't finish. "No," she finally turned to me, an apologetic look on her pale face. "If anything, it should be me who apologizes. Look, Rose, it was mean, what I said… I didn't really _want_ you to leave, but… I'm sorry, okay?" Lissa turned frantic, apologizing over and over, so fast that I couldn't understand her words. "Liss, take it easy. It's okay, I mean, sure you hurt me, and I'm not going to lie, I was pretty ticked at you. But all's forgiven. No need to go haywire." I tell her. "Okay. That's good, but I want to make it up to you. How about if we go out tomorrow, just us girls?" "What do you mean? Like, Court shops, or an actual mall with humans?" I prayed it would be the Court shops. Of course, I wouldn't mind protecting her if that's what we decide, but I just don't want to be stalked (even if it _is_ for a good cause) by multiple guardians.

"Well, I mean, I haven't been out of Court in a _while_…" It was there, that little twitch of her begging to get outside of her work, even if it's just for an hour or two. Well, if she really wants it… "I do, Rose, I really, truly do." Damn, forgot to put up the blocks. "Okay, we'll go somewhere out of Court, but I don't want the fleet of guardians following us everywhere. "But…" she races to defend her royal flock of protectors. "Liss, I could bring Dimitri, and it could be how we planned it from the very beginning. Just me, you, and Dimitri. Maybe even Fire Boy." I say. "But what about the kids? And isn't it supposed to be just us?" "Lissa, we have to protect you, and you know that I have to allow a couple guys to go along with me. Besides, if it's Chrissie you're worried about, his element is fire. He'll be hell brought down on Strigoi if any attack. And it's easy to find a babysitter, and I don't think they'll turn down the pay you could offer." "I don't know… The Council won't be very happy about the King and Queen going off with only two guardians to protect us." "I'll prove we're good." I say indignantly. She smiled softly. "I'm sure you will."

Dimitri

I had ran at least a mile (which isn't very long for me) around the outside track of the gym, when my phone buzzed annoyingly in my pocket. I took out my ear buds, letting them drop down and hit my thigh, while I dug through my pocket, and located the ticked-off phone. Opening it, I looked at the collar I.D. "Lissa" it read. I put it up to my ear. "Hello?" I say into the speaker. "Dimitri, hey it's Lissa. Rose and I have decided to go on a shopping trip of sorts." She says, and I knew she was hiding something from me, from the tone of her voice. "So? There are tons of shops in Court, why don't you just-." she cut me off. "Well, that's the thing. Rose and I, well, we really want to get out of Court, go off to a real mall." "Sure," I say. "I'll round up the guys, and-." She cut me off again. "Okay, so there's another catch… Rose doesn't really want guardians to follow us around, at least, not total strangers. She was wondering if… If only you and Christian could come with us…" Lissa trailed off. I ran a hand through my hair. I stepped off the track, and sat on a nearby bench. "I don't know, Liss. I mean, would it be okay if only two other guardians come with?" There was shuffle, some whispered words, and then Lissa was responding. "Rose says they can't be unfamiliar, and also one she would trust with my and Christian's lives." I nodded thoughtfully, and then said. "When is this happening?" "Tomorrow around four, human time." Liss said. "Okay…" I say, thinking. "How about Stan and Mikhail?" **(I know some of you know him by a different name, but I'm going with the American version since I am, indeed, American. Also, for those who don't remember, Mikhail's Sonya Karp's lover :D).**

"Okay, let me ask." Lissa repeats the question, and then there was more shuffling. And then a crash. "What happened?" I say into the phone, almost immediately getting up to run like hell over there. "It's okay, Dimka. Lissa just threw the phone at me to talk to you. Chill." Rose's voice reassured me, and I sat back down. "So, the guards?" I ask. "Yeah, I don't mind Mikhail, but Alto? Really?" She asks, a bit of a hiss in her voice. I knew she didn't like Stan, but at least he knew her moves, considering he'd watched her fight in the attack at Saint Vladimir's. "Look, do you want to go or not?" I used my 'mentor-y voice'. She sighed. "Fine, I guess Alto would work." Rose says finally. "Okay, so me, you, Lissa, Christian, and Stan are going? Who's going to be with the kids?" "Lissa's already on the phone with a babysitter as we speak." She states flatly. "Okay, so do you want me to come home for dinner?" I ask. "Nah, it's fine. Actually, I'm probably going to come to the gym to, with Ari." I nod, but I remember that she couldn't see me. "Sure, I'm at the track outside." "In this weather?" Roza says. "It builds-." she finishes for me. "It builds stamina, I know. But if Ari wants to run, I'm putting her on the inside track." "Fine." I agree.

Rose

"C'mon, Ari! We're going to the gym for a bit." I call up the stairs for my daughter. "Why?" I hear her response echo down to where I'm standing at the base of the steps. I sigh. "Come down and talk to me." I say, loud enough so she can hear, before I turn and sit on the couch. I hear her before she even gets on the first step. Still, she proceeds to plop impatiently down the carpeted steps before standing in front of me. "Why?" she asks again. She seemed upset and unwilling to leave the house for the gym. "Because," I say, and pause, realizing I had no idea what to say. "Because this is what you want to do, right? Protect Moroi from Strigoi?" I ask. "They come first." She whispers. "Right." I say, happy that we had taught her that lesson long ago. "Now, you can train. With us. At the Court gym." I say, punctuating each sentence exactly. Ari gives a rueful half smile. "Okay." She says, grabbing her coat from where it dangled from a nearby hook. I stop, a bit taken aback that she had given in that quickly. I shrug it off. "Want to go tell Melanie that you're going to the gym for a bit?" Ari nods and bounds up the stairs to tell the mini Lissa.

I was waiting for her, when there was a small tug on my shorts. I turn and see Alek, his nose red, and his fingers clammy from the winter wind. "Hey, Buddy, what's up?" I ask, lifting him onto my lap. It was then that I noticed he had been crying. I had thought that his cheeks were just frozen numb from the wind, but I was wrong. His cheeks were flushed which is what happens to me when I cry. He sniffs before saying, "There was a boy outside, and he didn't believe when I said that you were my mommy and that Daddy was my daddy." "How old is he?" I ask. "He looked 'bout sixteen. He's a Moroi, Mommy." He says a matter-of-factly. I had to stifle a laugh, both because of his seriousness, and he said Moroi like "Morou" **(Pronounced More-roo. I know, horrible of me, but Alek's dialogue is fun to write!:) **"Oh." I make "Oh" longer than it needed to be. "I need you to beat him up." He says bluntly. "Sorry, Alek, but he's a Moroi, and I can't do that. Your mother would be in a lot of trouble if she did that." "Then let Daddy do it?" He says it like a question, hopeful. I laughed. "Alek, Daddy can't do it either. We'd both be in trouble. How about we go out there and talk to him?" I ask, not really expecting him to say what he did. Alek was the kind of kid to back off then and there, a little "No, it's okay, Mommy." He usually said. But no. Today he had to go and say, "Okay, let's go talk to him." He jumps off of my lap and takes my hand, attempting to pull me off the couch. It was then that Ari came down the stairs, Melanie in tow. "Melanie wanted to come to, is that-?" She stops, noticing the position her mother and younger brother were in. "Oh-kay… Um, can Melanie come to?" She goes on with her question. "Yeah, that's-." "Mommy, come _on_." Alek says, tugging harder. I stand, and walk slowly toward the door, cocking my head to look at the two girls behind me. "Girls, start going to the gym, okay? Dimitri should be outside waiting." With that I turn to Alek to see this boy who thinks we're not related to him.

Outside, big snowflakes were falling, but it didn't bother me at all. The whole endurance and stigma thing Dimitri had taught me all that time ago still applies to now. All I feel is a bit of cold draft here and there. Alek steers me toward an oak tree that was standing tall, with a boy that actually _did_ look sixteen standing under it for shelter. I keep walking, watching the girls out of the corner of my eye until they turn the corner towards the gym. Alek was still chugging along strong, until we came to a stop in front of the boy. I noticed no stand-out features about him, pretty bland face, except the paleness that marked him as, indeed, a Moroi. He had a cocky air about him, his arms crossed defiantly at his chest, dark eyes glancing at me skeptically.

"This is Dimitri Belikov's student? Yeah, right. I mean, everyone knows he coached a _guy_." He scoffs. I roll my eyes. "Um, no, he didn't. He coached a girl. Actually, _mentored_ would be a better word. Are you Royal?" Just to make sure, in case he did piss me off enough. "No. But really. Belikov couldn't have mentored _you_. How many Strigoi have you actually killed? _Three_?" Boy, this guy was just asking for it, wasn't he. I glared at him. "What exactly do you know about this_ boy _Dimitri mentored?" I put air quotes around the "boy". Alek was looking back and forth between the two of us, like a tennis match. I turn to him, realizing this debate between the boy and me could take a while, and probably include some not-very-pretty words I would not want him speaking. "Alek, honey, can you go to the gym? Daddy can teach you his high kick." And at that, Alek was out of here, taking off running. I waited until he'd rounded the corner to turn to the boy again. "I know that Belikov mentored him after he and a Moroi had come back to Saint Vladimir's Academy in Montana. Then there was this huge attack on St. Vlad's…" I flinched a bit at that. On and on it went, until finally, he reached the present.

"And people have been saying Belikov and him have been having recent sparring matches to see who's better, mentor or student. But, I wouldn't expect you to know that." "Um, no, because it's not true. Dimitri Belikov mentored _me_, trained_ me_, but I wouldn't expect you to know that, because your ugly little_ ass_ is ignorant. Now, I have to get to the gym. Dimitri Belikov himself is waiting for me." I smirk at him, turn on my heel and say the last comment. "Bet you didn't know _that_, did you?" I continue on my way to the gym, leaving a fuming sixteen year old in my wake.

**Okay guys! I didn't exactly plan for that little showdown between Rose and the boy to take place, it just kind of… Came out… Anyways, hope you liked Rose's little rant about how Dimitri mentored her. Next chapter literally is only a split second after Rose walked a couple steps forward. I thought I'd end it here since it's eleven thirty p.m. where I am…**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be **


	7. Chapter 5: Proof

**Disclaimer: Same as always… Though I wouldn't mind owning Dimitri for a bit :)…**

**Just a quick reminder, this chapter starts off exactly where the last chapter ended. Other than that, enjoy!**

Chapter Five: Proof

Rose

I had barely taken ten steps away from the boy, when he sprang forward, and leaped onto my back. Even though I knew he was a Moroi, that didn't stop me from reacting instantly. I grabbed onto his arm, which was currently locked around my neck. His legs were secured around my waist. Getting time to take a quick glance around, I saw that no one was around. Cool. I've always wanted to try this move. Nearly laughing, I held tighter onto his arm, and flipped him over me. His legs didn't release, but when he flipped, I did with him. He hit the hard, cold ground first, and I managed to land on my feet, just missing his legs. My legs nearly buckled from the sudden impact, but I straightened out. I spun to face the boy, who was sitting upright, glaring. "What's your name?" I ask, hands on hips. He laughs without humor, before meeting my gaze steadily. "Evan." "Evan who?" I ask. "You won't believe me." I snorted. "Try me." He stood up, holding out his hand. "Evan Dragomir, at your service."

Ari

Melanie and I had to stop. Or rather, _Melanie_ did, claiming it was freezing, and I was crazy for being it a tank top and Sofie shorts. Granted, I had a light jacket, but I was carrying it. Mom's words echoed again. _They come first_. I quick memory surfaced from when I was seven and Alek was two.

_We were outside our little cottage, the wind dancing gracefully with the grass. It was hard paying attention to Daddy when the grass tickled my feet, so I tried to get away from it. The grass was everywhere, so I ran toward the mat where Mommy was teaching Alek a very basic punch. I had learned it at his age too. I got onto the blue surface, and Mommy turned to me. "Ari, why aren't you practicing your kick with your father?" I explained my predicament to her, and she laughed. I stepped off the mat, and Mom pulled it over to where I was practicing. Once I was settled, she left to go back to my brother. "Now, Ari, remember the very important words I taught you?" I nodded, proud. _"They come first."_ "Very good!" He praised. "Remember the rest? What are you supposed to do? What is your purpose?" "To protect the Moroi from all dangers, small or big. To destroy the evil that rests inside the Moroi couner-parts, the Strigoi. I shall protect them at all costs, no matter if I die or live." Daddy looked impressed. He might as well be. I _am_ almost eight, after all. Then Daddy smiled. "_Counterparts, Ari." _ "Oh."_

Melanie was saying my name, bringing me back into the present. "Here," I say, holding out the coat to her. "But… Why? Don't you need it?" She asks. "No," I say. "And besides, you come first, no matter the cost." With that said, I turned and walked the short distance to the gym, giving Melanie no choice but to follow.

Lissa

When I finally got home, no one was there, not even Christian. Rose did remember that we have to leave for Braidwood Mall in at least two hours, right? Shrugging mentally, I fished my phone from my purse. God, I was so _tired_. So many pleas, not enough time to answer them. No matter how much I tried to be happy, to act like I'm stress free, but Christian can tell I'm faking. He knows me too much. It's useless to try to act like that around Rose, because (obviously) she can read my mind. I sink down onto the couch, quickly clicking the number "one" to speed-dial Rose. That was my emergency number, because normally I would just dial and call. But I was too devoid of energy to actually dial. I held up to my ear, and on the first ring, Rose picked up. "There is no emergency, is there?" Stupid mind reader… She sounded a bit wary and… No… She couldn't actually be _scared_? "Rose, what's going on? Where are you?" "Lissa, I'm outside by the gym. I think you'd better come here. Quickly." I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "Okay, I'm on my way." I say. I close the phone, setting it back in my purse. Standing, I head up the stairs. In my room, I take out a pair of socks, and some tennis shoes. I set them on my bed before changing into something other than the uncomfortable dress I was currently in. I changed into some jeans and a long sleeve white blouse, a yellow cami under it. Slipping on the socks and tennis shoes, I head out the door, putting on my coat as I go.

I was only a couple hundred yards away, but Rose jogged over to me. "Hey, Liss." "Why did you need me?" I ask, wanting to get out of the bitter wind. I know that Rose has high endurance or whatever, but really, how did she stand the cold? "Let's get you inside first, then we'll talk." I nodded. When we reached the heated inside of the gym, I saw the kids high up the bleachers, talking. "Oh, crap!" I exclaim. "What?" I ask, momentarily taken aback by the panic in her voice. "I forgot to pick up Marissa from her babysitter's house!" I say, almost ready to bolt. "Liss, relax. I'm sure the babysitter won't mind spending some extra time with Marissa. Besides, she adores your daughter. Just pay her off some extra cash. I seriously think this needs all your energy." Rose says, looking a bit grim at that last part. "If I have any left…" I mumble, but Rose just smiles a sad little smile, before going over to Dimitri, who I hadn't noticed. Rose reaches him, and I was only a couple steps behind when Rose began talking to a person out of my sight. Dimitri and Rose were blocking whoever-they-were. "You said you weren't Royal. Now the next thing I hear out of your sorry little mouth is that you address yourself by the only royal name I have the honor of protecting!" Rose was getting all in the mystery person's face, and Dimitri grasped her upper arm, restraining her. "Rose, if he really is Royal…" Rose turns to Dimitri, fuming. "Yeah, I bet my ass he's Royal! There are only two Dragomirs in existence, which are Lissa and Jill!" Before I could puzzle over what she means, I noticed that in that subtle movement of her body, I could see the poor victim of Rose's fury. It was a boy, about sixteen. I haven't seen him around before. His expression… Well, I couldn't read it. I turn to Rose, who was just looking at the boy, and at me. "Rose," I grasp her wrist lightly. "What's going on?"

**I know, I know; short and terrible ending. But, now that I'm back on my feet of being absent, I remember where I'm heading with this story! No, I didn't outline the story/chapters, but I have a general idea of where we're going down this path :). Next chapter up soon!**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be  
**


	8. Chapter 6: You're Joking, Right?

**Disclaimer: Don't even ask…**

**You guys hate me yet? You will, just wait. Got a major MAJOR chapter coming up…. Actually, these next couple chapters are pretty important. So, under no circumstances are you allowed to skip anything. NOTHING! Enjoy! :)**

Chapter Six: You're Joking, Right? 

Rose

Lissa hand flittered across my arm, her fingers latching onto my wrist. "Rose, what's going on?" I turn to her, open my mouth, but I'm not sure what to say. "Um…" I stutter out lamely. Dimitri took over. "Alek said that this boy," He gestured to Evan. "Didn't believe that we were his parents, so Rose went out to talk to him. He claimed that I had trained a guy and not her. Of course, she got angry. So…" I continued. "I flipped him after I asked if he was Royal. He said no, so… Um, yeah… Then I asked him for his name, which is Evan. I asked him for a last name, and he said…Well, he said…" I was starting to ramble, that unhealthy ramble that spirit brings on from time to time. Dimitri put his hand on my shoulder to shut me up. "He said Dragomir." Lissa's quiet and calm voice scared me to death. Not the quiet part, because Lissa was naturally quiet. The _calm_ though… "He said what?" Her voice was light enough, like nothing was bothering her. "Um… Liss, he said he was a Dragomir." I say slowly. She visibly swallowed. Then, without a word, she walked out of the gym and into the world. "Oh, God…" I say, my eyes trailing after her. Dimitri put a hand on my shoulder. "Go after her, make sure she's okay. I'll talk to Evan here." I shoot him a grateful look, before running outside. "Liss!" I call. I don't see her. _I don't see her_. I look around frantically, afraid that she'll let spirit take over, and that she'll do something that she will regret. I focus all my will on the bond, concentrating on finding her. Suddenly, I'm in her head.

It takes a couple seconds to realize where she is, and that she's in no immediate danger. She's getting there though. She's walking stiffly, through the snow flakes that have carelessly fallen and melted on her blonde locks. I can see her destination in her mind, a ledge overlooking the middle of Court. I try to pull out, but her emotions were running so high, I was stuck. I watch helplessly as she reaches the ledge. **(Go to Youtube and type in Colorblind by Natalie Walker. NOW! Perfect song for this moment…)** One foot. One leg. Hand gripping a pillar. All the way up. I jerk out, and take off running as fast as my feet could take me. Reaching her maybe three minutes later, I yank her off the ledge. I realized how weird it was that she hadn't jumped yet. Then it hit me: She was waiting for something. Not me, not really. More like a sign that she should go through with it, like cries from below from shoppers on their way home. _Anything_ that would have pushed her to jump. Just _jump_. She didn't though. And I thank God that nothing happened. I hold her tight to me as she screams into my shoulder, wetting it almost instantly with her crystalline tears. I wait for maybe a minute, stroking her hair, whispering comforting messages, before holding her back at arms length, studying her intently. Tears were brimming in my eyes too. I was this close. _This _close to losing _my best friend_. Lissa. "What. On. Earth. Were. You. Thinking?" I say each word like an individual sentence. She just sniffs and a couple tears drop down her face and onto the floor. I embrace her again. Lissa doesn't cry anymore. She just whispers random sentences, over and over, as if they're on reply in her mind. I hold her back again, looking at her, confused. Her eyes have a hazy quality about them, clouded over. Her lips move in record time, repeating it over and over. She isn't even looking at me, just staring beyond me. "Liss?" I ask. I drop her arms, and she just stands there. I put my ear by her mouth, and hear the words she's saying. "Stop it. Stop it. Make it go away." She repeats again and again. And I'm getting scared. I pick her up, cradle style, and make a run for the clinic. Halfway there, Christian catches up. "What happened?" He asks, bewildered. "How'd you know?" I ask. "I saw you running with her past the house. Rose,_ what happened_?" I shake my head. "I really don't know either, Chris."

Lissa has been in her hospital room for three hours. No contact through the bond what-so-fucking-ever. Even so, Christian asks me every five minutes-. "Have you felt anything yet?" I sigh and shake my head, annoyed with him. "No, Christian, and I swear to God, if you ask that again…" I start my threat, aggravated. "Okay, okay," He raises his hands in mock defeat. "Sorry, I won't ask anymore." We sit there in silence, me trying to feel anything through the bond, and Christian staring at the fan, sighing every once in a while. Then he turns toward me and grins. "How about now?" I make a noise somewhere between a sigh and a grunt. He laughs lightly, when a nurse makes her way toward us. "Vasilisa Dragomir?" "That's us." I motion to Christian. "Well, she had a panic attack, followed by a seizure." "A seizure?" Christian asks. "That's the only condition we can round it up to. It's the only thing that makes sense. A vocal seizure; at least, that's what the head doctor is calling it." "Is there any such thing as a vocal seizure?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. (Yes, I can do that now). "That's why we are running tests now." "So, she's okay now?" Christian asks, "Can we see her?" "You may, but I will warn you, the medication we put her on… It's almost as if she's crazy. Vasilisa is in room 708." Without another word, she walks away. I stiffen. Christian gets up, and begins to walk down the hallway, but pauses when he realizes I'm not following. "Rose?" He asks, coming back to my side. "What's up?" "Didn't you hear? The nurse said it was almost as if…Lissa was crazy… And if there really is no such thing as a vocal seizure or whatever…" I trail off. Christian's eyes widen. "So you think…" He lowers his voice. "It's spirit?" "Possibly." My voice wavers a bit, but doesn't break. "Come on, let's go see her, okay I'm sure they only put her on that loopy gas or something. You know, the thing that makes you all giggly." I nod, and let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Alright, let's go." Together, we head down the hallway.

Before I know it, we're outside her room. Taking a deep breath, I open the door. I walk in a bit, just enough for Christian to get in the room too, then shut the door gently. Her jade green eyes turn to us. She's smiling. No, more like grinning. "Liss?" Christian moves slowly toward her, until he was maybe three feet from the bed. But she doesn't look at him. Her eyes are focused on my brown ones. "Liss, are you… Are you feeling okay?" I ask, going to stand on the other side of her bedside. She responds with a little, "Yeah." Then she goes into a fit of giggles. She then tries to get up, and hug me. I gently push her back down. "Lissa, stay down, okay? You have to rest." The next thing I know, she's screaming at me. "Why? What the _hell_ have you ever done for me? Nothing! That's what! I hate you! I hate _all_ of you! Leave my head! _Leave me alone_!" She screeches. Christian and I exchange a look, and he presses a red button on the wall that reads: EMERGENCY ONLY. About thirty seconds later, four doctors come into the room. They take Christian and me by the arms, and shove us, not too softly, outside the room. A nurse escorts us back to the waiting room, telling us to wait there until further news arrives, and we turn our backs on Lissa, still screaming hysterically in her room.

And let me tell you, I hated it.

**Okay, so I get to explain now! Softball season started near the end of May, and it ended recently! (Our team got second, but we won the season!) Then my volleyball camp started yesterday, and now… Yeah, I'm just hoping to get through this week. So, explaining over! Did you enjoy this chapter! Let me know! I promise I will UD much quicker then I have.**

**Also, a quick shout out to my Aussie friends: LeeLee and Ash! (You know who you are).**

**Another big thank you to all of my readers and reviewers! You guys rock.**

**All the best,**

**Guardian2Be**


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